What 's your take/interpretation on the last scene. - Old Joy (2007) Discussion

[–] bzbbzbzbzb 16 years ago

in a sense he's homeless as he's a wanderer in his life and feels lost and unimportant (the conversations about the community garden and his universal theory), he also seems extremely stoned at the end. i thought it was a really vital scene showing how people are desperate and lonely in any lifestyle. really depressing end i thought

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[–] prodigylover 16 years ago

My take on the last scene was that each guy ultimately envied the other's life. It's obvious throughout the entire film that Mark clearly misses the free-spirited "hippie" lifestyle. What's surprising to me, however, is that Kurt isn't all that satisfied with his life either. He professes this sense of "spiritual calm," but watching him wander around like that at the end, you get the feeling that he kinda wishes he had a family and home to get to.

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[–] RTVfilm 16 years ago

I saw the final scene as a juxtaposition of the scenery in the film (nature vs. modern industrialism).

We spend 3/4 of the film on a gorgeous 'road trip' into the wilderness & serenity of the Oregon landscape. This is where the Kurt character feels most 'at home', as (unlike Mark) he's been defiant in adapting into what's typically considered: a "normal" conformist lifestyle as an adult.

I thought the final scene was effective in showcasing how 'out of place', and even alienated, Kurt feels in the loud, fast paced "civilized" city-scape.

Wonderfully subtle film.

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[–] JohnFK 16 years ago

I think you're both right (prodigylover and Independentopia).

They both envied each others life (to a certain degree), or at least to function in another way, maybe even as friends (some middle ground), and that was kind of the general feel. How they kind of drifted in different directions, not to any extremes, but to very different places; and that in the past, their differences (albeit not so big back then probably) fitted more with the world (or indeed their more naïve view of the world), a view or a world that is mildy rekindled in the forest.

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[–] JohnHolmesFromDwaistDown 16 years ago

i think all you guys gave excelent interprations of the last scene.

fantastic little film.

disregard social norms, indulge every whim, , mock posers,sleep with whores,

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[–] WarpedRecord 15 years ago

disregard social norms, indulge every whim, , mock posers,sleep with whores,

Words to live by!

I think those are some excellent interpretations of the final scene, and I don't have anything profound to add, but in the interest of keeping this thread going, I would say that the final scene is designed to be felt more than explained.

We've come a lone way from out agrarian roots, and the divide between rural and urban life seems to grow wider every day. Maybe Will's character is meditating on the contrast between his trip and his real life, or maybe getting back to nature has softened him a bit to pandhandlers and the plight of others. Maybe the trip has helped him put his life into perspective and grasp his struggles, or maybe it's made him hate his life more.

OK, there I go explaining something I believe is more meant to be felt.

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[–] clancy6969 14 years ago

Just watched it and have to add you guys did indeed have some great interpretations of the films ending scene, at first it seemed like just a regular, very sad ending but couldn't express how. Pretty much perfect ending though.

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[–] easyguy14215 13 years ago

All these interpretations seem plausible. To me, the ending was heartbreaking and fit with the impression that Kurt made on me throughout the film. Everyone knows someone like him-the still single stoner kid/man- whom his friends' wives would rather not have around too much. Hedonistic, without much conventional ambition, slovenly and with little intimacy in his life. Gets stoned and tells long, personal disjointed stoner stories (like about the bookstore). Has a big and very kind heart, but is seen by many to be a less than a positive influence on those with family responsibilities-including his own relatives. Husbands invariably stay out too late and come home stoned when they've been out with him, and such outings are not encouraged. He doesn't get invited to your kids' birthday parties, or when your "couples" friends or in-laws are around. And he's acutely aware of it.
I saw Kurt reluctance to walk into his empty house alone as a dread of disconnecting from his beautiful and intimate trip with his friend whom he sees as drifting further and further away from him in his new life as a husband and father. I think his need to connect with another human being was so strong at that time that even affirmation of a beggar was worth something.

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[–] 13 years ago

[deleted]

[–] hilaryjrp 11 years ago

Yes. The ending is heartbreaking and unforgettable.

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[–] henrimaine 11 years ago

Somehow the ending of Old Joy reminded me of the ending of Withnail and I (1987). The two friends part after spending some time together, the more "normal" one of the two goes back to his normal life and the bohemian one is left standing aimlessly in the street. Withnail and I is, to a large extent, a comedy but that makes the ending feel even more tragic.

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[–] PoppyTransfusion 8 years ago

I like the comparison with Withnail & I.

Ever tried, ever failed?
No matter.
Try again, fail again.
Fail better.

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[–] earl687 10 years ago

He says "sorrow is joy worn out", and I think that is his life now. He has had a lot of fun in his life, and tells a story about how great a time he had on some adventure with "beautiful girls singing", but in the end it is all worn out and he isn't happy with it anymore.

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[–] MovieManCin2 (26342) 7 years ago

I haven't the faintest f***ing clue.

😎

"He's dead."

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